Anna Karenina Page #5

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There's Betsy Tverskoy. She's coming over.

You're pale. Aren't you well?.

l'm sick with lies.

- Then come away with me.

- l can't. What would become of...

(Bell ringing)

Tonight at one. l beg you, promise me.

- l have made you unhappy.

- l...

l was dead before, now l'm alive.

My love.

Oh, my love.

Dear one, there you are at last!

(Quietly) Be careful, he's here.

l couldn't bear it any longer

with that collection of hags over there.

Old samovar Lydia, always on the boil.

And Liza Merkalov in a hat like a chimney pot!

- (Bell ringing)

- Saddling bell, Vronsky, come on, move.

- Yes, all right.

- (Betsy ) Bonne chance, Alexis.

Not in public.

There are other ways of doing it.

Well, excellency, this is your wife.

Don't you see her?

My eyes were dazzled, Princess.

Now, dear, you won't forget to have a word

with his highness?

- Very well.

- And you have your binoculars?

Good, good.

Oh, will you excuse me?

Come, Anna.

( # Band playing)

Well, l've put my last rouble on Frou-Frou.

Anna!

You look resplendent.

Oh, this wretched bustle.

Now, where are they?

- Well, not there. That's the finishing post.

- Oh.

Over there. Vronsky on Frou-Frou,

and the rest of them.

(Whinnying)

Oh, my heart's thumping.

My smelling salts! l know l shall need them.

Oh, it's not as dangerous

as it looks, you know.

( # Fanfare )

(Stiva ) They're off!

(Crowd shouting, hooves thundering)

First ditch was a six-foot fence at least!

Come on, Vronsky! Vronsky! Frou-Frou!

Bravo! He sailed over it like an angel!

Taking risks of that sort - what's the point?

ln officers' racing, your highness, it appears

to me that danger is the chief attraction,

admittedly superficial.

(Crowd exclaiming)

Well, there's your superficial

with a couple of ribs broken.

l wasn't referring to either saddle,

your highness.

- (Crowd shouting)

- (Man ) Come on, Frou-Frou!

(Woman ) Frou-Frou! Frou-Frou! Frou-Frou!

lt's suicide!

l never want to see another race again.

l can't bear it.

- Shall l take you home?

- No, of course not.

There goes another. Three!

- Ah, Vronsky's falling back!

- Yes, he's losing.

- A bet?

- Done! A pair of gloves! Gladiator!

Frou-Frou!

Oh, l beg your pardon.

(Man ) Count Vronsky!

- He's downi Vronsky's down!

- Alexis!

He failed the jumps, he did!

Get an ambulance!

Murder! Plain murder!

The Tsar ought to stop this.

- Stiva... Stiva!

- He's gone to the course.

- Anna, l'll take you home.

- Stiva!

- Anna, l am offering you my arm.

- Leave me alone.

Stiva, Prince Oblonsky!

l think it's all right, he's not hurt.

The horse is done for.

- ( # Band playing)

- (Crowd cheering)

Get up, Anna. For the third time,

l'm offering you my arm.

Alexis, l promised Anna

that l would drive her back.

Thank you, Princess. My wife is not well,

l shall take her home myself.

Come, Anna.

His imperial highness

is waiting to speak to you. Anna.

Smile. Bow.

Smile.

His imperial highness, Anna.

Your imperial highness.

Madame Karenina has had a bad shock.

l don't wonder at it.

lt's a cruel sport, madame.

Pray accept my apologies.

Anna.

- Thank you, your highness.

- l shall send to enquire after you.

Anna...

l beg you, conduct yourself

in a more seemly manner in public.

lt's not a matter of my personal feelings,

but appearance, the respect l deserve.

You are his mistress, aren't you?

Yes.

You dare to tell me this.

(Footsteps )

Oh, not here, my dear baron, you will have to

send a petition to my minister.

l hate you, Alexis.

Through your own sheen

l don't even hear what you're saying.

Only that he's alive.

My lover is alive. That's everything.

l shall go away. l shall leave your house.

You may do as you please.

But you will observe the proprieties to the end.

Do you understand?

To the end.

(Clock chiming)

(Knock on door)

Come in.

There is no need to knock

every time you come in, Korney.

Yes, your excellency.

Korney?

The stove.

(Laughs )

You know, you probably

think me rather stupid,

but whenever l'm in Paris or Monte Carlo

l miss this enormous contraption.

(Chuckles )

(Clears throat) The Russian stove.

l mean, when you think of it, it is Russia.

(Sighs )

And as for this thing, you know,

foreigners say we spoil our tea,

but then they can hardly be expected

to understand us, what?

ls it so surprising when we can

barely understand ourselves?

Quite!

Mm!

My dear fellow,

l quite forgot to congratulate you.

l understand the Tsar

has been gracious enough

to award the Grand Cross

of St. Alexander Nevsky to you.

Oh, that. Yes. Thank you.

Well, you're riding high, Alexis.

And l have every reason to be pleased.

You see, er...

l want you to put a word in for me

with the Tsar.

- On what subject?

- Well, l want a place on a committee.

The lmperial Trans-Siberian Railway

Consolidated Trust.

(Laughs ) Yes, it's quite a mouthful, isn't it?

But l thought it'd look terrific

on my visiting card.

l dare say.

Why do you want this post?

Well, my dear fellow,

it carries a salary of 9,000 roubles!

And to be frank, l'm hard up -

deuced hard up.

Then cut down on your expenditure.

Anyway, it's a grossly inflated salary.

Yes, probably, but it won't shatter

the country's economy.

Will you help?

Yes, you have children.

But don't overdo these requests,

l shall be obliged to refuse you.

Oh, don't worry, l'm very grateful to you.

Well, that means Dolly

will be able to take a holiday.

Yes, she's been getting in quite a state.

Oh, do you mind?

That's not the only thing

l came to talk to you about.

There is one other matter.

l expect you can guess what it is.

lt... lt's Anna.

l do not understand

your mentioning this...person.

Alexis...

l can't always talk to you

as if you were a statesman.

Take pity on her.

Pity? Why?

She is a lucky woman.

Well, you know how hard it is for her

to be separated from her son.

The choice was hers.

Had she led a decent life...

Yes, l know how you feel, but...

Well, it is six months.

When all's said and done, the past is over.

For me it is still the present.

l know, but...

Well, forgive me, Alexis.

She is my sister, and her position is...

l am not interested in her position.

You, er...

You know they were in Venice?

l am not interested.

l take it she sent you to me.

Well, yes.

To be frank with you,

she doesn't dare to come and talk to you.

(Chuckles ) She does not dare?

She has broken up my home,

she has shaken my position, and...

and she does not dare!

Well, anyway, they've come back...

to St. Petersburg.

- Together?

- Yes.

She begs you to allow her to see Sergei.

Oh, she's a true woman, Alexis,

let her keep what she has.

l am doing so.

She has Colonel Vronsky.

Well, ex-colonel.

He's resigned his commission.

That is his affair.

Will you let Anna see Sergei?

No.

l told her as much.

- She wrote to me.

- She wrote to you?

To be precise, she wrote to Countess Lydia.

What? That old samovar?

She must have been desperate.

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